Page 62 - HUDCO-SHELTER-OCT21

POLICY REVIEW
and budget allocations, the dignity and safety due to the
country’s abysmal sanitation shortage of basic sanitation
situation persists. As per facilities such as toilets, as well
the National Family Health as social and cultural taboo.
Survey 4 (2015-16), only 48% They are prone to several
of Indian households have risks such as reproductive
sanitation facility which is not tract infections, psychosocial
shared while 9% use shared stress and gender-based
facilities. Moreover, 39% of violence. According to a
households have no sanitation study published by the India
facility and the members sanitation portal, nearly 355
engage in open defecation. million women and girls
in India menstruate every
The following graph month, and on average,
illustrates the comparison a woman needs 7,000
between NFHS 4 and 5. While sanitary pads to handle her
the numbers improved in menstruation days before
NFHS 5 (2019-20), it remains menopause. Just 12% of
poor in many States. In young girls and women have
Kerala, 99% of households access to safe and hygienic
have sanitation facility but menstrual absorbents.
the States like Bihar are still
lagging with only 49%. Millions of women and
girls are compelled to use
Women have specific unsanitary items such as
sanitation and hygiene old rags, husks, dry leaves
requirements, which are and grass, ash, sand, or
affected by social and cultural newspapers because they
factors as well as biological have no other alternative.
factors. Women find it difficult Furthermore, in homes,
to perform their everyday schools, universities, and
sanitation routine with communal bathrooms, there
Fig. 4: Proportion of households with sanitation facilities
Source 3: National Family Health Survey – 5 (2019-20), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
60 HUDCO-HSMI Publication
are seldom systems in place
for the proper disposal of
sanitary napkins. Since they
are non-biodegradable,
improper disposal can result
in an environmental hazard
and there is a lack of awareness
about the eco-friendly and
sustainable alternatives to
sanitary napkins.
In terms of school, hygiene
becomes a big concern. Many
studies suggest that young
girls drop out of school once
they hit puberty due to a
lack of hygienic sanitation
facilities and menstrual
hygiene management. The
right to sanitation affects the
right to education. When
girls are forced to drop out
of school due to a shortage of
proper sanitation facilities, it
does not bode well for their
right to dignity. The true
realisation of human rights
will remain impossible until
adequate sanitation steps are
taken and services are given
to everyone.